1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sprinkler system and, in particular, to an irrigation sprinkler system provided with a hydraulically powered, hose winding apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Home owners are known to install underground irrigation sprinkler systems which automatically irrigate their lawns. The underground sprinkler system is typically provided with plurality of strategically placed sprinklers to ensure even irrigation of the lawn. The underground sprinkler system may also be provided with timer set to irrigate the lawn at a predetermined time for at a predetermined duration. This is convenient because it does not require that an operator be available during the irrigation process. However, there are circumstances in which an underground sprinkler system may be neither available nor desirable. For example, the home owner may not be able to afford the cost of installing an underground sprinkler system. Alternatively, the cost of installing an underground sprinkler system may be difficult to justify if the house is being rented or sold.
Lawns are therefore frequently irrigated using an oscillating sprinkler. Oscillating sprinklers have a spray arm with a plurality of spaced apart nozzles along a longitudinal extent thereof. Pressurized fluid flowing to the oscillating sprinkler from a pressurized fluid supply is diverted into two streams. A portion of the fluid is diverted to actuate a cam that oscillates the spray arm. The remaining fluid is diverted to the spray arm where it is discharged through the nozzles. This causes a fan-shaped curtain of water to be sprayed over a rectangular area of the lawn. But lawns are often larger than the rectangular area covered by the oscillating sprinkler. The oscillating sprinkler must therefore be periodically moved to ensure even irrigation of the lawn. This is inconvenient because it requires that an operator be available during the irrigation process.
To overcome above disadvantage associated with oscillating sprinklers, it is known to use oscillating sprinklers in irrigation sprinkler systems which further include a hose winding apparatus and, in particular, a hydraulically powered, hose winding apparatus. Typically fluid flowing through the hose winding apparatus actuates a drive mechanism to rotate a hose reel. This draws the sprinkler along a substantially linear path towards the hose winding apparatus. Fluid is continuously discharged by the sprinkler as the sprinkler is drawn towards the hose winding apparatus, thereby allowing a larger area of lawn to be irrigated than would otherwise be possible with a stationary sprinkler.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,881 issued on Feb. 5, 2009 to Long discloses an irrigation sprinkler system which includes a portable vehicle having a hose reel connected to a pressurized fluid supply. A hose is carried by the reel and an end of the hose is connected to a travelling carriage having a water gun. The carriage is initially moved away from the vehicle by an external force. Fluid flowing through the system drives a turbine which rotates the hose reel and winds the hose thereon. The carriage and water gun are thereby drawn towards the vehicle at a selected speed so that a large area of earth is irrigated automatically.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,761 issued on Sep. 3, 1985 to Ruprechter et al. discloses an irrigation sprinkler system in which a hose reel is rotated by a pressurized fluid supply to wind up a hose. A hose guide is movable back and forth across the hose reel causing the hose to wind in layers on the hose reel. The hose guide is also coupled to a threaded spindle upon which a nut rides. A link connects the nut to a valve which throttles the flow of pressurized fluid to a hydraulically powered motor which progressively decreases the angular velocity of the hose reel as the hose is wound about the hose reel.
Yet, despite the disclosure of the above described systems; there remains a need for an inexpensive, compact hose winding apparatus that may be used in domestic applications.